Looking for a new foundation?

I worked at Sephora not to long ago until I moved. I would love to help anyone out if they have any questions about foundations!

I've worked with just about every foundation at Sephora on clients skin. If I could tell you the one I worked with most by request and love, it would have to be the popular Makeup Forever HD Foundation!

Starting off with a mattifying primer will allow you to target and address the oil from the start and prolong the wear of your make up.

If you prefer fuller coverage with a matte finish, try MUFE's Velvet Mat. If you prefer buildable coverage with a natural finish, try Tarte's Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Foundation (it's a skin-sensitive line with mineral based pigments, clay to control excess oil, and humectants to bind healthy moisture to skin). For lighter coverage, but a matte finish, Clinique's Stay Matte Oil Free Foundation can be an option.

Re: Looking for a new foundation?

I have a fair/light complexion (close to the MAC NC 15 range) with a warm yellow/golden undertone. And I also have combination skin that is oilier on the T zone and dryer on my cheeks. I actually have larger pores on the T zone area too. I have some fine lines on my face (I'm 32) but not real wrinkles. I'm almost out of my old foundation so I'm going to need to buy some more soon anyway. What would you recommend for my skin?

Benefit's Porefessional is a dimethicone rich primer (has a silky texture) that smooths over the look of pores and helps control oil and shine (can even be tapped over your make up to touch up oily spots without caking on powder or using blotting sheets) along with forming a nice barrier over fine lines to prevent make up from caking or settling.

What type of coverage do you prefer in your foundation?

If you like fuller coverage with initial application, try Kat Von D's Lock It; for full coverage and a matte finish, try MUFE's Velvet Mat; for buildable coverage and a soft finish look, go for MUFE's HD; and for buildable coverage with a soft dewy/matte finish, try Urban Decay's Naked Skin.

All those brands offer a range in colors and undertones. In fact, Urban Decay even has a color match chart on their page (just Google "Urban Decay Naked Skin Chart" and it's the first option) that gives comparisons to certail brands for exact color matches and even photo guides of what skin tone would wear which shade, giving an easier visual to help match rather than just a blob of color on a screen. Plus, the UD Naked foundation is packed with peptides that help increase skin's firmness and suppleness and humectants, which bind healthy moisture to skin, helping to plump up and minimize areas with fine lines.

Re: Looking for a new foundation?

I went to Sephora today and bought Urban Decay's Naked Skin Ultra Definition liquid foundation in shade 2.0. It is PERFECT for me, I love it! It disappears right into my skin, and the finish looks completely natural. And the coverage is awesome! Thank you so much for the recommendation, this is one of my new favourite products!

If not, I would advise choosing formulas that are void of extra and filler ingredients like parabens, synthetic fragrances, synthetic colors, and are oil free.

Tarte is an excellent line to start with as they tend to be more on the "natural" side of things, using mineral based pigments and leaving out many excess ingredients that can irritate senstive skin.

To address your oil, their Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Foundation would suit perfectly as the addition to the clay not only keeps your make up long wearing, but also helps to absorb and control the oil produced. The formula does come infused with sodium hyaluronate, which is a humectant that binds healthy moisture to skin, so no worry about the clay aspect being over drying.

This provides light to medium coverage and is buildable. It's also oil free so it won't clog your pores to cause more break outs.

Though the MUFE HD foundation is oil free, it does contain parabens and fragrance, so depending on what you may be sensitive to, you may look to get a sample first to try this out.

Lines like Smashbox and MUFE are camera ready lines, meaning they will photograph very well and true to shade without the worry of any ghastly flash or light washing you out. Though they do contain oil free formulations, they aren't "made specific" to cater to sensitive skin.

Regardless of what foundation you go, follow up with a light application of HD powder, which is a silica based powder that bends and warps light around imperfections like visible pores, fine lines, wrinkles, minor blemishes, and just gives an over all soft-focus look to the skin making it appear more flawless and even better in photos. This tool is especially great for make up that is mineral based but not necessarily "camera" safe, case in point, Bare Minerals is a non-camera safe mineral, meaning it is highly reflective and will look shiny and even give a paler cast to skin when photograhed, but Smashbox's HALO mineral powder is camera safe, making it appear smooth and even in photos. Use a fan brush to lightly sweep a fine amount onto skin, if you use a regular powder brush, press and "roll" the product onto skin rather than buff it on like a traditional powder. HD/silica powders are meant to just "lay" and "rest" on skin rather than be worked in. Brands like MUFE, Smashbox, Too Faced, Urban Decay, and Tarte have their own versions!

Re: Looking for a new foundation?

BB creams are great for most all skin tones! If you dont like spending to much time in the mornings BB creams are for you! Most contain primer, moisturizer, protect, and give coverage in one! It can be worn alone, over moisturizer, under foundation or over serum depending on desired coverage! For your mature skin, that is exposed to sun daily I recommend Dr.Jart Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45 PA +++. It would be great to wear throughout the day and at nighttime for more coverage you could try Makeup Forever's HD foundation! Its medium-full coverage, and lasts all day! Honestly working with so many clients in Hawaii that had a good amount of brown spots, you want to look into a good skincare regimen to lighten those or help fade them. You can use a heavy concealer for each spot but most of the time it will end up looking cakey. Do what you can with a nice medium-full coverage foundation and work those brown spots away with a good skin care regimen targeted for brown spots and always wear sunscreen!

Re: Looking for a new foundation?

The formula itself has a range of optical diffusers so it can most certainly soften the appearance of brown spots. The finish it gives allows for a softer, more natural look and the fact that it allows for buildable coverage allows you to have more control and flexibility over how much is used and to which portions of your face need a little more added.

Also, try pairing it with a skin brightening or luminizing primer such as Smashbox's Apricot (the peach tone brightens brown spots) or Too Faced's Primed & Poreless (pink tube, works with vitamin C and mulberry extract to brighten skin). This will help cut down uneven tones while helping your skin have a flawless layer for make up to rest on and last longer!